


Burned

by RamIsAway



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Azula (Avatar)-centric, Burns, Child Abuse, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Protective Azula (Avatar), Turtleduck(s), Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25024273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RamIsAway/pseuds/RamIsAway
Summary: in which Zuko is the younger sibling.Things change quite a bit.
Relationships: Azula & The Gaang (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 79
Kudos: 817





	1. One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azula is 4 years older than Zuko :)
> 
> Time lines kinda wack ngl just,, ignore that

When Azula was born her eyes sparkled.

A sure sign of a bender, Ozai was thrilled, Ursa seemed indifferent, she would be happy with her child, bender or no.

-although for her child's sake she was glad she was a bender-

-

Azula is four when Zuko is born. His eyes are a brilliant, yet dull gold. 

They didn't sparkle.

Azula stands on tip toes to look at her baby brother, head tilting. "Does he have a name?" She asks. Ursa smiles. 

"His name is Zuko."

Father didn't come to meet the baby in the hospital.

-

Azula makes her first sparks shortly after Zuko was born. She throws them at the turtleducks, usually under careful watch by Ursa. A servant informs her father.

He's estatic.

Her training starts.

-

When Azula is six Zuko is two.

He still doesn't walk well. 

Azula has been tasked with watching her gross little brother while Mother talks to Father. She stuck the toddler in a basket and sits a ways away.

He's a spitty thing, his face usually has some trace of saliva on it and Azula wants nothing to do with it. 

Zuko tips over the basket, spilling out and falling on his face. Azula twitches.

He starts to cry.

Azula presses her lips together and gets up, picking the young prince up and setting him back in the basket after she rights it. He continues to cry, she doesn't understand.

"Just stop crying stupid." She huffs, watching tears mix with snot on his face. Its disgusting. 

She growls, and sets her hand on his head, running it through fuzzy baby hair like she had seen her mother do multiple times. Zuko begins to quiet. He reaches up and grabs her hand with his own chubby one. Her nose wrinkles but she doesn't pull away.

He sticks her fingers in his mouth and she shrieks.

-

When Zuko is four-and-a-half he still hasn't produced any sign of fire. Father is disappointed, he doesn't spend any time with his son, its almost like he doesnt exist to the man.

Currently, the prince is watching Azula practice bending.

Her forms are near perfect, and she's only eight. It's impressive. Ozai wants more. 

She huffs.

Her lesson ends and she sits by Zuko at the Turtleduck pond. Not because she wants to, but because her mother had asked her to watch him. Whatever.

He holds a piece of bread out to her, head tilting slightly. She rolls her eyes but takes it.

He beams, and tugs off the corner of his own piece and tosses it into the pond. 

The little creatures had swarmed the area before Zuko had even brought out bread, spoiled by both Zuko and their Mother.

Azula tears of a chunk of bread and throws it right at one of the baby Turtleducks head, Zuko shoots her a glare.

He wasn't the fondest of talking. Something Ozai didn't like either. Azula pinches his arm, he swats at her hand.

She feeds the Turtleducks more gently, Zuko seems pleased.

-

"Azula?" Zuko's voice is light and clipped. She sighs.

"What is it Zuzu?"

His nose wrinkles up at the nickname. "Do you think I'm a firebender?"

She blinks. Zuko was five and still no trace of fire. It seems father gets more irrtated with that daily. 

"I don't know." She answers. She thinks she does, but she's afraid of the possibility that he's not one. She hopes, dearly, that Zuko is a bender, because she doesn't know what father will do if he isn't.

His face twists but he doesnt reply, playing with his hands instead.

After a moment of silence.

"Can you teach me?"

Azula startles, staring down at her younger brother who won't meet her eyes. "What?"

He sighs, heavily. "Teach me. You're.. you're really good, so I just thought.." he trails off.

This is not the conversastion Azula thought she would be having. She doesn't even know what to say.

"I- I can teach you forms." She settles on. "But I cant just teach you how to bend, I can't magically make your fire."

He deflates. 

"Okay."

-

He's not good at the forms but she doesn't tell him that.

-

When Zuko is six he finally makes a spark.

They fizzle out of his fist as he does the bending pose Azula was showing him. His eyes light up and they rush off to show Ursa.

Zuko's training starts.

-

Azula is ten when she calls to her little brother, who is standing at the Turtleduck pond, with Mai and Ty Lee at her sides.

When he turns his eyes widen and his face pales. Azula can't help but giggle. "Come here Zuzu."

His eyes narrow but he walks closer and stands just out of reach. "What do you want?"

"I want you to let Ty Lee practice chi blocking on you!" She smiles. He winces. It wasn't rare that he was subject to Mai's target training or Azula's bending practice.

"No-" "C'mon Zuzu! She hasn't been able to really test it out on anybody yet!"

"What if something goes wrong and she paralyzes me forever?" Which is.. a valid concern. Ty Lee has the decency to look nervous. Mai looks indifferent.

"It'll be fine Zuzu." She purrs, and, quick as a snake, grabs his wrist before he can react.

He yelps and immediately tries to squirm free of her grip, but she grabs his other wrist and holds him tight.

He's six and she's ten, he can't escape her.

She turns them both to Ty Lee and smiles. "Go ahead!"

Ty Lee hesitates, and in that moment Ursa walks into the garden.

"Azula." She calls, voice tinged with exasperation. She huffs and drops Zuko's wrists, and he scampers over to her like a puppy.

Azula rolls her eyes.

-

Zuko has only been doing bending training for a year when she notices the burns.

They aren't bad, mostly just spots, like someone had pressed a burning finger into her little brothers skin and held it there.

She's furious, so she watches Zuko's training.

It seems father gave him a more.. stern instructor. She knows he doesn't learn anything when he's being yelled at. She bristles.

The man does, indeed, press a hot finger on her baby brothers forearm. So, she rushes to father to demand a new teacher for Zuko.

Her demand is denied.

He gave Zuko that instructor on purpose.

-

Azula is eleven when Lu Ten dies.

Grief rips through her family, through her and her mother, and Zuko, who was always close to him, and Uncle Iroh especially.

He abandons Ba Sing Se.

Azula acts irritated. She's not, she understands.

Zuko cries, he's only seven and has lost his best friend. Azula holds him.

-

Azula pushes Zuko into the Turtleduck pond for the first time when he's still seven.

It becomes a usual thing after that. Zuko hates it.

-

Azula is still eleven when mother disappears, and oh, does Zuko cry.

Azula was never very close to their mother, but Zuko was. He spent most of his time with her, tending to flowers and feeding Turtleducks, or even hiding behind her when Ty Lee and Mai were over.

So he cries, he cries and cries at the Turtleduck pond and irritates father to no end.

He refuses to go to his bending lessons. Azula is fairly certain father will kill him if he keeps skipping out on it.

Oh, and father is the new Fire Lord.

The whole situation is strange and makes her head hurt to think about, but she's glad that father is the Fire Lord now.

Zuko sleeps in her room.

-

Azula is fifteen and Zuko a mere eleven when Uncle allows her baby brother into the war room.

Its a mistake. She knows that when he sits down. She knows that when he stiffens at the plans, she knows that when he speaks out of turn to his higher ups.

She knows that when father declares that he is to fight in an Agni Kai.

-

Azula's stomach twists when she sees that its their father Zuko is supposed to be fighting. Uncle stiffens at her side.

Zuko cries. He's only eleven and he's being forced to fight against his own father.

Her little brother drops to his knees and begs, he begs and begs for forgiveness and mercy but father just holds the back of Zuko's head and cups a flaming hand over the boys eye.

And oh how he screams.

Azula throws up.

-

After a couple days unconscious in the infirmary Zuko is shipped off with Uncle, banished for the foreseeable future.

If Azula had known she would have gone with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought!


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko meets the avatar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW DID YA'LL FIND THIS SO FAST JSXWNEBCWJ
> 
> The fact that this hit the 200 kudos mark in less than a day just blows my mind.
> 
> Anyways thank you, ya'll are so amazing <3
> 
> I, admitedly, don't remember all the details of the episodes and I really really don't feel like going back and watching through so.. shit might be off, sorry

Zuko is only eleven and he can barely see through his scarred eye and he can't hear at all through his ear and its.. a terrifying thought. Its only a couple months after his banishment.

The south pole is cold.

He really, really doesn't like it. Father had shipped him off with little to wear, and he definitely had nothing warm enough to keep the chill out of his bones.

He was a firebender, he was not meant to be cold.

He takes a deep breath, really wishing Uncle would just teach him how to breath fire.

-

When one of the signal flares of a ship goes off, Zuko just _knows_ its the Avatar. It has to be. He can see him and.. a girl? A girl jumping off the ship, and he orders his men to change course for the Southern Watertribe, where the Avatar and girl are no doubt running off to.

He pushes the thought of his last 'fight' to the back of his mind as the boat cuts through the water. Pushes the fear of fighting what could quite possibly be a hundred year old Avatar when he was only eleven.

He has to capture them, because maybe then Father would let him come home. Maybe then he could see Azula and the Turtleducks. Maybe then he wouldn't live in such misery. 

He misses mom.

-

The boat rocks as they hit the land, and he sets his helmet on his head with slightly trembling hands. He's still freezing.

He walks of the boat, sucking in a sharp breath when he's immediately attacked by someone who is, admittedly, a lot bigger then him, and he's admittedly really, really bad at fighting.

There's a stupid sharp thing that wacks him in the back of the head, which he _doesn't understand_ because that stupid Watertribe boy already threw it why did it _come back?_

If he didn't have a helmet on it probably would have done major damage. 

And then he's being rushed at, and theres a spear and this Watertribe boy must be at least around Azula's age, and he's never been able to beat Azula and-

And he throws his arms around desperately, somehow, managing to break the spear, and, and _bonks_ the older boy in the head with the end of his own spear.

- _Zuko thinks bonk is a funny word-_

Eventually the teen his forced back by the crew and Zuko can _breath,_ and then he demands the Avatar.

But the people deny, deny, deny, and Zuko is getting really tried, and if he had enough control over his bending he'd use it to scare them into telling him that-

They really didn't have the Avatar.

And the Avatar was a child, who was going on about how he'd surrender himself if Zuko left the village alone, and his head spun because he really did think he was going to have to fight some old man who mastered all four elements.

So he escorts the Avatar, who.. he assumes his around his own age onto the boat while the Watertribe protests behind him.

He should be excited but he just feels worse than usual.

-

"Can we talk before you lock me up?" The Avatar asks, thoroughly startling the young, banished prince. 

He looks at the Avatar, who looos so young and harmless, and deflates. - _Says Zuko, the eleven year old who can't even bend properly-_ "I.. I guess so."

The Avatar beams and Uncle smiles. "I'll make some tea." 

Ah, that.. was not surpising at all. Uncle always jumped at whatever opportunity he could to make tea. He turns to some of the crew as Uncle leads the Avatar away.

"Stay alert, okay? Keep his stuff gaured."

They nod, and so he sets off after the other two.

The Avatar is already sitting at the table, hands tapping against it softly. Zuko sighs and settles himself down at the table as well, crossing his legs.

"Do you have any questions for me?" Avatar asks, turning his gaze to the prince.

"I- yeah but I thought you'd have questions for me or something-" Zuko starts, he figured there would be some questions about.. the burn.

The Avatar smiles. "I do, but you ask first, please."

Zuko nods slowly, biting his lip. "Uh.. okay.. whats uh, whats your name?"

"Aang!" He chirps, tucking his hands into his lap. "My name is Aang, yours is.."

"Zuko." He sighs, leaving the prince part out. "How old are you? I thought you would be like.. a hundred."

"Well.. my body is a hundred and twelve, I got frozen in ice so I'm just.. tweleve." He hums in response, something sad flashing in his gaze for a breif moment. "What about you?"

"..Eleven." Zuko mumbles, feeling his face heat up. 

"Thats.. really young." Aang responds, confusion clear on his face. "Does the fire nation usually recruit people that young?"

Zuko bites his lip.

"No, they don't." Uncle sighs, setting down a tea pot and three cups. "Ginseng tea." He clarifies, filling a cup for Aang and then pushes it towards him.

Aang lights up and smiles appreciatively at Uncle. "Thank you." He blows on the tea, takes a sip, and then says, "Why is Zuko here then?"

Zuko inhales sharply at being addressed like he wasn't even there. He opens his mouth to snap about it.

"He's a prince." Uncle responds, pushing a cup of tea to his bristling nephew.

"Oh." Aang purses his lips, staring down into his cup of tea. "I- I guess that makes sense." Zuko can see on his face that he doesn't believe that.

Aang takes a deep breath. "What do you think about the war?"

-

As it turns out, talking to the Avatar about the current war is eye opening, and Zuko is.. very conflicted.

The war is destroying everything, and he wants whats best for his nation.

- _Will bringing the Avatar home bring peace?-_

Zuko doesn't want his nation to live in destruction.

But.. helping the Avatar would make him a traitor to his people, to his father. - _what does it matter? He's already banished-_

His mind is reeling, conflicting thoughts filling his head as the Avatar goes on about the devastation of the world, about how the Fire Nation got out of hand and is only killing people senselessly.

They were only supposed to spread their greatness.

And then Aang is escaping. He's a lot more graceful than Zuko, who more than once bumps into a wall chasing after the Airbender.

He's fast too.

He shoots a fireball at him in a moment of panic, and it just barely misses. Aang's eyes go wide.

"You- you can't escape!" He cries, huffing. "I- I _need_ to bring you to my father!" He holds his hand out, in what he hopes is a threatening action, because, well, Aang doesn't know that he's bad at bending.

Aang's eyes flash with something he can't quite place, and then theres a huge flying _something_ and the Watertribe boy and girl are there.

And of course, the Watertribe boy rushes at him, sweeping his legs out from under him and sending him crashing to the floor, away from Aang.

Panic grips Zuko like a vice and he shoots his leg out, catching the older boy in the stomach.

He scrambles up and is immediately shoved back down, chin hitting the floor _hard._ he bites his tongue.

The metallic taste of blood fills his mouth, and wind whips at his clothes, which, weird, it just started up randomly which wasn't normal and-

Oh right, Aang was an airbender.

He pushes himself onto his elbows, watching the Avatar toss some of his crew off his boat. Rude. He got back to his feet, noting that the Watertribe boy had stepped back and then got frozen to the ground which didn't make any sense, water didn't just freeze in seconds.

And the Watertribe boy is yelling at the girl and- oh. She's clumsily bending water. Huh. Zuko knows he shouldn't be surprised.

A strung gust of wind lift his feet of the ground and he squeaks, and then is promptly tossed back down a little ways away.

"Sorry Zuko!" Aang calls, dancing just out of reach of his attacker. He shoots the prince an apologetic look over his shoulder. "But i had a feeling you wouldn't have just let me go, and I _have_ to stop this war!" 

And he's being picked up _again,_ and this time he's tossed off the boat. The water is _cold_ and the armor he never bothered to take off is dragging him down, and he never was that great of a swimmer, and he can't breath and-

and someone, one of the crew who's name he hadn't taken the time to learn is wrapping an arm aroumd him and dragging him up to the surface. 

Zuko fumbles to remove his armor to help make it less difficult. Once Zuko and the crewman are fished up the Avatar is long gone, just a dot in the sky, and he stands, wrapped in a towel and shivering, watching them get smaller and smaller.

He wonders, if he and Aang had talked longer, if he would have gone with.

He kinda wishes he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sokka will feel bad about "beating up" an eleven year old later dw.
> 
> And again, thank you guys so much for the support on this, I've never got quite this reaction to anything I've wrote and it feels amazing, thank you <3333


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for barely responding to comments, they mean so much to me but I dont always know what to say and its pretty overwhelming

"That kid looked pretty young, do you think the Fire Nation usually recuits people that young?" Sokka asks, wiping his boomerang down. 

Aang shifts, looking back at him from his place on Appa's head. "No." He answers simply. "His uncle said he was a prince. Which.. I don't understand why that would make a difference but I don't think that's something that usually happens."

"Did you find out anything else about him?" Katara asks, she's running her hand through Appa's fur.

"Yeah, like how old he actually is." Sokka huffs. He had looked so confused when the boomerang came back, he thought that was _hilarious._

"He's eleven." Aang says, and suddenly it becomes a little less funny, because, well, he hit an _eleven year old._

"Oh." 

"He's still Fire Nation." Katara states bitterly. Aang sighs.

"Yeah, but I was talking to him about the war, and he genuinely seemed to consider what I was saying. I don't think he wants this war either."

Katara rolls her eyes, and this time it's Sokka's turn to sigh.

"He's _Fire Nation,_ he was probably just trying to trick you."

Aang opens his mouth to say something, but seems to think better of it an snaps his mouth shut, shrugging lamely instead.

-

The palace is far too quiet without her dumb little brother around. He was a constant missing presence, at the Turtleduck pond, at dinner, which had become a silent, one person event.

Azula didn't like to admit it, but she _missed_ him. 

She missed her brother who took such diligent care of the Turtleducks, who tried so hard to perfect his bending.

She remembers helping him with his training after realizing his instructor wasn't properly teaching him anything. She remembers when he started flinching at raised hands or loud voices before mother was even gone. She remembers how his hands would shake whenever be talked to father, never able to look the man in the eyes.

She misses Zuko, but is also glad he's far away from the Fire Lord.

She wishes she knew where he was. She would send him a letter.

She doesn't know any details on his banishment, all kept from her by their father. She hates him, but her loyalties lie with the Fire Nation, and with that, him.

She sighs and slips into the kitchen, grabbing a couple slices to bread and making her way to the Turtleduck pond. The ducks don't react to her presence, not like how they would react to Zuko or mother.

She tears of a chunk of bread and chucks it at the little animals as hard as she can.

She remembers the night before mother disappeared, when the woman came into her bedroom and pulled her into her arms, telling her that she was sorry, telling her that she needed to take care of Zuko, needed to protect him, because this was the last time mother was going to be able to protect him. And then she was gone, and Grandpa Azulon was dead.

Azula has an inkling of an idea what happened.

But, she failed at the promise she had made. She couldn't protect Zuko. Not from their father, not from whatever he may be facing now. She cant protect him.

She throws more bread, frustration boiling over. She wishes she knew where he was, she wishes he was _here._

-

Zuko presses his lips together, staring out at the gently rolling water, thinking over what the Avatar had told him. Thinking.. over possible treason.

He squeezed the ships railing. 

"What has you thinking so hard, Nephew?" Uncle asks, thoroughly startling the young prince, who jumps and whips around to face the man. "I don't suppose it would have anything to do with what the Avatar had said?"

Zuko tenses. How was he supposed to explain that he had been contemplating _treason?_

Uncle smiles kindly. "I undedstand Zuko, I myself do not want this war any longer."

He blinks, surprise fillimg him to the core. "Wh- what?" 

"It was not supposed to be like this. We've only caused destruction, as the Avatar said. So, please do tell me what you were thinking about."

Zuko swallows around the lump in his throat, eyes drifting back to the water. "I- I was thinking about joining the Avatar." He admits softly, his hands start to shake so he grips the railing harder. "About _treason_."

There's a moment of silence and Zuko tenses, bracing for a hit or a burn, something that _hurts._ instead a gentle hand comes to rest on his shoulder. And still, he can't help but flinch away. The hand leaves just as quickly as it had come.

"You do not have to share the same path as your father, Zuko." The old man says. Zuko still doesnt look at him. "I believe you can bring peace to our people if you follow your own path."

Zuko blinks. "So you're.. you're not mad?" He's still prepared for the swing of a fist or heated slap, authority figures were.. always just like that. _-distantly he's aware that Uncle **isn't** like that-_

"Of course not. I want you to make your own decisions." Is the soft, gentle response. "I will support you in whatever you choose to do."

He sucks in a sharp, almost painful breath, turns, and practically lunges at his Uncle, who simply wraps his arms around the boy and holds him close, and Zuko knows he's going to make the right decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly i don't particularly like Katara, because,,, of the whole mom thing she always does and invalidating other ppls trauma bc of it, so...
> 
> And sometimes I think about the line "you can't treat me like Zuko." And i get sad (at least I think that's the line)
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading i hope you enjoyed :)

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Twitter! @1NKY_GH05T !!  
> And Instagram(where I post art) @1nky.gh05t !!


End file.
